| 1. | of, pertaining to, or belonging to oneself or itself (usually used after a possessive to emphasize the idea of ownership, interest, or relation conveyed by the possessive): He spent only his own money. |
| 2. | (used as an intensifier to indicate oneself as the sole agent of some activity or action, prec. by a possessive): He insists on being his own doctor. |
| 3. | to have or hold as one's own; possess: They own several homes. |
| 4. | to acknowledge or admit: to own a fault. |
| 5. | to acknowledge as one's own; recognize as having full claim, authority, power, dominion, etc.: He owned his child before the entire assembly. They owned the king as their lord. |
| 6. | to confess (often fol. by to, up, or up to): The one who did it had better own up. I own to being uncertain about that. |
| 7. | come into one's own,
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| 8. | get one's own back, to get revenge and thereby a sense of personal satisfaction, as for a slight or a previous setback; get even with somebody or something: He saw the award as a way of getting his own back for all the snubs by his colleagues. |
| 9. | hold one's own,
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| 10. | of one's own, belonging to oneself: She had never had a room of her own. |
| 11. | on one's own,
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own (ōn) adj. Of or belonging to oneself or itself: She makes her own clothes. n. That which belongs to one: I wanted a room of my own. v. owned, own·ing, owns v. tr.
To make a full confession or acknowledgment: When confronted with the evidence the thief owned up. See Synonyms at acknowledge. [Middle English owen, from Old English āgen; see aik- in Indo-European roots.] own'er n. |
own
In addition to the idioms beginning with own, also see afraid of one's own shadow; after one's own heart; beat someone at his or her own game; blow one's own horn; call one's own; close to home; come into (one's own); dig one's own grave; do one's (own) thing; dose of one's own medicine; get (one's own) back; get one's (own) way; go one's (own) way; hold one's own; in one's (own) interest; in one's own backyard; in one's own right; in one's own world; keep one's own counsel; know one's own mind; leave to someone's own devices; mind of one's own; mind one's own business; of one's own accord; on one's (own) feet; on one's own; on one's own account; on one's own time; paddle one's own canoe; pay back in one's own coin; pay one's (own) way; pick on (someone your own size); pull one's (own) weight; sign one's own death warrant; stew in one's own juice; take into one's (own) hands; under one's own steam; write one's own ticket.